A PUB ALONG one of the busiest roads in Reading has received protected status after a failed attempt to convert it into a Greggs bakery.
The Royal Albion on Oxford Road was in use for more than 150 years as a hotel and a pub, but it closed last year, with brewing company Greene King selling it at an estimated value of £650,000 to M & M Property Investments.
The new owner submitted a plan to convert it into a Greggs bakery earlier this year, which would have seen it become the second Greene King pub repurposed into a Greggs.
It would have followed The George & Dragon, along the A4 Bath Road, which was successfully replaced with a Greggs drive-thru in March.
But the plan for the Royal Albion was subsequently refused by Reading Borough Council’s planning department, as it would have led to the permanent loss of the pub.
The Reading Conservation Area Advisory Committee nominated the building to be added to the council’s list of locally important buildings, which was deliberated at a council meeting.
Savills, acting on behalf of M & M Property Investments, objected to the listing.
The submission stated the building has low architectural, artistic and historic interest.
Furthermore, Savills argued the Royal Albion has undergone ‘various incongruous and iterative alterations that have significantly diluted the limited architectural and artistic interest of the building’ and lacks ‘landmark quality’ along Oxford Road.
The council’s conservation officer, Burcu Can Cetin, acknowledged the representation, but it did not change her recommendation that the Royal Albion should be listed at the meeting.
Councillor Amjad Tarar (Labour, Battle), who represents the area, said: “All three councillors in Battle ward agreed and they feel that the building which currently houses the Royal Albion pub should be preserved.
“There has been a pub in this location for over 150 years, and it is part of the community landscape that we would not like to see destroyed.
“We believe it is essential to preserve this heritage asset for future generations.
“And we feel sure that a commercial concern will see the value of this historic building and concrete viable functional space within it that will preserve its legacy.”
Cllr Karen Rowland (Labour, Abbey) cited Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) data that 251 pubs have been lost and 37 have been demolished over the last year.
While acknowledging her American accent, she argued the Royal Albion asset value as an English pub.
Cllr Rowland said: “214 pubs have been converted to other situations such as housing, restaurants, shops, and off-licences.
“So there is a lot of uses for an old pub, but that’s really not what we are talking about.”
She went on to argue that, while it is ‘not the most gorgeous’ building, it has a long history of providing social opportunity for neighbours.
Councillors unanimously decided to add the Royal Albion to the local list at the planning applications committee meeting on December 3.
A decision was meant to be made at a meeting in November; however, the verdict was delayed to allow M & M Property Investments to object.
